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Feliciano says Mets camp 'feels like home'

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Looking back, Pedro Feliciano still does not believe that overuse contributed to the shoulder injury that derailed his career. He was, after all, the one asking to be overused.

"I never felt tight," Feliciano said of his most recent stint with the Mets, from 2006-10. "I never felt fatigued. I was always ready. I always wanted to pitch. I can't say that I was ever overused. I remember going to manager [Jerry Manuel] and saying, 'I want to pitch. I want to break my record. I wanted to pitch in all the games.'"

In 2008, Feliciano set the franchise record for appearances, with 86, then reset it with 88 appearances in 2009 and 92 in '10. He parlayed that durability into a lucrative two-year contract from the Yankees, but he never pitched across town due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said at the time that Feliciano was "abused" during his tenure with the Mets; Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen revealed that his club did not pursue Feliciano in part because of the heavy workload.

Stung by those comments, Feliciano sought out Warthen upon arriving in camp on Monday, after rejoining the club on a Minor League contract. The left-hander said that Warthen did not apologize for his comments, nor did he need to.

"It was just stuff that I heard that he said, but who cares?" said Feliciano, who will earn $1 million plus incentives if he makes the team. "We're friends. He wants to help me, and I'll be here for him to help me."

As for being back in Port St. Lucie following a two-year absence, Feliciano admitted that he never expected to return.